Thai Foreign Ministry officials at the consultation (Photo: VNA)Bangkok (VNA) – The Vietnamese Foreign Ministryand its Thai counterpart convened the sixth political consultation in Bangkokon February 15, saying that cooperation activities in 2016 reinforced thecountries’ strategic partnership.
The two delegations, led by Deputy ForeignMinister Dang Dinh Quy and Permanent Secretary of the Thai Foreign MinistryBusaya Mathelin, discussed and agreed on a number of measures to enhancebilateral ties, including exchanging delegations and working to increase tradeto 20 billion USD by 2020.
Other measures were also devised to boostcooperation in security, defence, trade, investment, transport, labour,culture, tourism, education, and science-technology.
The officials agreed to resolve emerging issuesin a fraternal spirit and promote the realisation of an agreement on sendingVietnamese workers to Thailand in 2017.
Both sides will accelerate the opening of acoach route linking Thailand, Laos and Vietnam and a coastal route traversingThailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
At the consultation, they lauded the twocountries’ coordination at regional and international forums while exchangingviews on regional and global matters of shared concern.
They agreed to make joint efforts to strengthenthe solidarity of ASEAN and ensure the bloc’s central role in security andstrategic issues in the region. The officials also committed to promotingpeace, security and stability in the East Sea.
On this occasion, Busaya Mathelin thanked PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a high-ranking delegation of Vietnam for paying theirrespects to Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Meeting with Deputy Minister Quy, Thai ForeignMinister Don Pramudwinai expressed his delight at the outcomes of theconsultation, adding that he wants the two sides to bolster collaboration. Healso voiced his hope that ASEAN will have a common voice in important regionaland international issues.
At another meeting, Quy and ApisakSombutcharoennon – Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies underThailand’s Defence Ministry – shared their views about the world and regionalsituation and agreed to step up the centre’s affiliation with researchinstitutes in Vietnam.-VNA
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